372:
183:. The cars he best loved to illustrate were the big, pre-World War One racing cars, which feature prominently in much of his work. These cars lent themselves well to an artistic licence for slight exaggeration of their features. His touring scenes reflect the atmosphere of wealth and excess that surrounded these cars at the time.
167:
Crosby worked at a time when road transport was still in its infancy. The cars he illustrated then, are today the pride of many car collections. His work reflects the excitement of this time, which almost lost with today's modern cars. While some of Crosby's paintings represent events he actually
136:
After some 30 years of travelling and working to press deadlines, the work began to take its toll on Crosby. In the last few years before the Second World War, it became clear to many of his colleagues that all the enjoyment had gone out of the work. However, during the war, his spirits seemed to
248:
of the race, and these are still in possession of the
Sicilian Automobile Club. Crosby also produced a set of 30, full colour caricatures of the foremost racers of the day with their cars, and worked on a number of plaques, sculptures and medallions of motoring subjects commissioned as trophies.
306:
in 1922, and second, and even harder, was the death of his son Peter in 1943. Peter showed great artistic promise and was thought by many to be likely to be every bit as good, if not better, than his father. The war cut short that dream when he pronounced dead when his plane (a
133:, his talent and reputation grew. While not fond of travelling abroad, he would travel wherever his work took him. This included Paris, where he would sketch the latest models about to be released to the public, much to the annoyance of many of the vehicle stand attendants.
125:
made it an instant hit the first time it was published, and it was produced for years afterwards. It humorously criticised the way that functionality of vehicles at the time was always put above aesthetics, much to Crosby's disappointment.
163:
Crosby painted some very fine
Landscapes, for example the oil paintings he did in 1918-1919 of the Scottish Highlands. At least two works are known to exist. One is in a private collection. The others whereabouts are currently unknown.
115:. It was at Autocar, and at Clayton's house, that Crosby met and maintained a lifelong friendship with Sammy Davis and Monty Tombs. Crosby, as illustrator, and Tombs and sometimes Davis, as writer, were responsible for producing one of
186:
Crosby, working at one of the greatest periods in the history of the car, did an enormous amount to glamorise motoring and motorsport of his time. His artwork fetches high prices, and both imitations and forgeries exist.
160:
Crosby bridges the divide between illustrator and artist. He was an illustrator with such outstanding creative and artistic ability that he was able to raise his historic records into works of art.
302:
Crosby was not known to show much emotion, but there were two notable exceptions in his life. The first was when some of his party were killed in a plane crash returning from the
119:’s humorous stalwarts: "Keeping up appearances". Here Crosby sketched and Tombs wrote anecdotes about the construction of cars at the time. The characters created in
168:
saw, many reflect stories told to him by eyewitnesses. These he reproduced in his own unique style, shot through with exaggerated excitement and atmosphere.
58:
Crosby had no formal training as an artist, although he did attend life classes at art school some time after the start of his professional career.
198:. This was both the first German zeppelin to be shot down by British aircraft, and the first aeronautical picture ever hung in the Royal Academy.
244:, where he and W.F. Bradley were allowed to travel around the track by car during the race. Crosby was commissioned to make several paintings by
30:
for most of his life. His illustrations and paintings reflect the excitement and glamour that surrounded the birth and early development of the
446:
393:
415:
299:
He married
Marjory Dickenson, youngest of seven, in 1913. His first son Peter was born in 1914 and his second son Michael in 1920.
259:, Crosby produced some of his best works, especially the 'Roads of War' series, and his pictures of war at sea and in the air.
504:
428:
As one of the few published sources of information about his life, this article borrows heavily from Peter
Garnier's book
262:
Crosby was regularly commissioned to produce works that would be sold or auctioned to raise money for charities such as:
86:. Clayton drew Iliffe's attention to Crosby, who was subsequently commissioned to create a perspective drawing of the
386:
380:
209:, but most of his oil paintings are confined to works about wartime aircraft. His less formal works were produced in
397:
338:
Automobile
Quarterly Volume IV, Number 4, F. Gordon Crosby-An Appreciation and a Portfolio by Peter Garnier;
148:
From 1914 – 1918, Crosby was engaged in the investigation of German military aircraft, including
Fighter and
87:
252:
Crosby also created the Jaguar car 'leaping cat' mascot. This first appeared on Jaguar cars late in 1938.
121:
77:
499:
494:
43:
171:
He is well known for his coverage of many of the great car races of the day, including Le Mans (see
172:
31:
283:
A large collection of the works of
Frederick Gordon Crosby is displayed at the first floor of the
111:
82:
26:
69:. This was an environment full of young men, all wildly enthusiastic about the cars of the day.
442:
303:
176:
194:, the first in 1916 with his painting of Flt. Lt. Reggie Warneford shooting down an L37 over
24:(1885 – August 1943) was an English automotive illustrator. He worked for the magazine
256:
90:
magneto. This was to be one of the first drawings of a style that was later to be termed an
312:
245:
62:
470:
228:
His work reflects the ease with which he was able to move between different media, from
475:
284:
272:
236:, as well as a variety of sizes. Some of his most vibrant works being produced at the
488:
191:
91:
137:
rally and he produced some of his best works of battles both in the air and at sea.
308:
237:
180:
480:
354:"The Art of Gordon Crosby", Peter Garnier. The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd, 1978.
343:
233:
229:
65:'s drawing office. At this time he moved into Arthur Ludlow Clayton's home in
465:
456:
Other information has also kindly been provided by the Gordon-Crosby family.
339:
288:
265:
206:
210:
149:
66:
202:
217:. These were usually created over the weekend for the Friday issue of
319:
241:
214:
47:
195:
221:. There are nearly 300 of these originals that are still held in
365:
271:
RAF benevolent fund, Aeroplane Diving - commissioned by
109:
In 1908, Crosby at the age of 23, moved from
Daimler to
61:In 1908 he started his career as a draughtsman in
249:Unfortunately, most of these are now missing.
344:http://colinchapmanmuseum.org.uk/?page_id=200
8:
340:http://www.grandprixhistory.org/crosby.htm
18:English automotive illustrator (1885–1943)
416:Learn how and when to remove this message
437:F. Gordon Crosby; Peter Garnier (1978).
379:This article includes a list of general
331:
72:Ludlow Clayton's first job was for the
7:
318:Crosby died in August 1943, in N.W.
190:Crosby exhibited three times at the
385:it lacks sufficient corresponding
80:, the same company that published
14:
268:1933-1934 French alps scene and;
370:
46:(Bluecoat) school, just outside
201:Crosby produced many works in
1:
521:
466:F. Gordon Crosby Biography
63:The Daimler Motor Company
439:The Art of Gordon Crosby
430:The Art of Gordon Crosby
232:to charcoal, crayons or
400:more precise citations.
129:Through his years with
22:Frederick Gordon Crosby
122:Keeping up Appearances
311:) went down over the
94:, and begun Crosby's
505:English illustrators
322:, at the age of 58.
155:
173:24 hours of Le Mans
74:Automobile Engineer
32:automotive industry
448:978-0-600-32038-8
426:
425:
418:
304:French Grand Prix
177:Monte Carlo Rally
152:engine defaults.
44:Christ's Hospital
512:
452:
421:
414:
410:
407:
401:
396:this article by
387:inline citations
374:
373:
366:
355:
352:
346:
336:
257:Second World War
225:’s strong room.
42:Crosby attended
520:
519:
515:
514:
513:
511:
510:
509:
485:
484:
462:
449:
436:
422:
411:
405:
402:
392:Please help to
391:
375:
371:
364:
359:
358:
353:
349:
337:
333:
328:
313:English Channel
297:
281:
279:Museum displays
246:Vincenzo Florio
158:
146:
107:
76:, published by
56:
40:
19:
12:
11:
5:
518:
516:
508:
507:
502:
497:
487:
486:
483:
482:
478:
473:
468:
461:
460:External links
458:
454:
453:
447:
424:
423:
406:September 2013
378:
376:
369:
363:
360:
357:
356:
347:
330:
329:
327:
324:
296:
293:
285:Louwman Museum
280:
277:
273:King George VI
157:
154:
145:
139:
106:
100:
55:
52:
39:
36:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
517:
506:
503:
501:
498:
496:
493:
492:
490:
481:
479:
477:
474:
472:
469:
467:
464:
463:
459:
457:
450:
444:
440:
435:
434:
433:
431:
420:
417:
409:
399:
395:
389:
388:
382:
377:
368:
367:
361:
351:
348:
345:
341:
335:
332:
325:
323:
321:
316:
314:
310:
305:
300:
295:Personal life
294:
292:
290:
286:
278:
276:
274:
269:
267:
263:
260:
258:
253:
250:
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
226:
224:
220:
216:
212:
208:
204:
199:
197:
193:
192:Royal Academy
188:
184:
182:
178:
174:
169:
165:
161:
156:Crosby's work
153:
151:
144:
140:
138:
134:
132:
127:
124:
123:
118:
114:
113:
105:
101:
99:
97:
93:
92:exploded view
89:
85:
84:
79:
75:
70:
68:
64:
59:
53:
51:
49:
45:
37:
35:
33:
29:
28:
23:
16:
455:
438:
429:
427:
412:
403:
384:
350:
334:
317:
309:P-51 Mustang
301:
298:
282:
270:
264:
261:
254:
251:
238:Targa Florio
227:
222:
218:
200:
189:
185:
181:Alpine Rally
170:
166:
162:
159:
147:
142:
135:
130:
128:
120:
116:
110:
108:
103:
102:Working for
95:
81:
73:
71:
60:
57:
41:
25:
21:
20:
15:
500:1943 deaths
495:1885 births
398:introducing
255:During the
234:watercolour
230:pen and ink
175:), and the
489:Categories
381:references
326:References
54:Early work
38:Early life
476:WPO Comms
289:The Hague
266:Barnardos
207:oil paint
471:Kolumbus
211:charcoal
150:Zeppelin
141:Outside
98:career.
67:Coventry
394:improve
362:Sources
223:Autocar
219:Autocar
203:gouache
143:Autocar
131:Autocar
117:Autocar
112:Autocar
104:Autocar
96:Autocar
83:Autocar
27:Autocar
445:
383:, but
320:Surrey
242:Sicily
215:crayon
78:Iliffe
48:London
196:Ghent
443:ISBN
205:and
179:and
287:in
240:in
213:or
88:BTH
491::
441:.
432:.
342:;
315:.
291:.
275:.
50:.
34:.
451:.
419:)
413:(
408:)
404:(
390:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.